Thornton’s quickest start of the season sparked the Wildcats to a 56-45 SICA East victory over Thornridge on Friday night.
The winners blitzed the visiting Falcons with a 9-0 run in the opening 1:51 of the conference opener for both teams. Thornton’s full-court run-and-jump defense took the ball away from Thornridge in its first four possessions, turning each theft into points.
“They ran the run-and-jump the way it was designed,” Thornton coach Troy Jackson said. “Cause havoc. Speed the other team up. Cause havoc.”
Thornridge stopped the early run with a basket, but then the floodgates opened. The 13th-ranked team added a 15-0 run and ended the first quarter with a 24-4 lead.
Thornton’s offense spread the wealth in the nearly flawless opening quarter. Six Wildcats scored, with Joevan Catron and Donnell Lyons leading the way with six points apiece.
“They couldn’t do anything wrong. They’re really, really quick with their feet and their hands,” Thornridge coach Mike Flaherty said. “We didn’t do what we said we wanted to do early. In terms of how we attacked, it was really more to their advantage than it was to ours.”
Thornton subbed liberally in the second quarter. The move affected the Wildcats’ offense, which was outscored in each of the last three quarters. Although never in danger, Thornton relied on guard Brandon Dagans when it needed direction.
“The guy that killed us was Dagans,” Flaherty said. “He didn’t look to score. He distributed the ball until the end. He spread us out and he went one-on-one and got his shot, or he got a shot for one of the other guys.”
Dagans and Lyons led the Wildcats with 12 points apiece.
“I want the ball . . . when we need to take care of the ball,” Dagans said. “Coach tried to get everybody else involved in the second quarter, and we lost a little momentum.”
Thornridge can take some consolation from paring a game-high 25-point deficit in the second quarter to the final margin. Senior Ronald Coleman led the Falcons (1-5, 0-1) with 16 points, 11 points below his average.
“They’re really a hard team to guard,” Flaherty said.
